Power Plays
by artemis8
Summary: A once-small corporation is trying to buy the Kent farm, Lex is meeting some old 'friends', Clark's dad is acting strange, Chloe has an internet boyfriend, and, worst of all, it's finals time. Isn't Smallville ever BORING?
1. Father's Secret

Power Plays  
  
Ok, ok, I own nothing. This isn't even my laptop, it's my granny's, and even if I did own Superman/Smallville, it'd probably suck, so be glad I don't.  
  
This story has no real time that it fits into, episode-wise. I've only seen most of the 3rd season, and I'm slowly devouring the 1st season on DVD, so if there are some things in here that are not canon, I apologize. The only thing I can say is that it is pre-Clark's little rampage on metropolis, and after we find out about Whitney's dad having the heart problem. Beyond that, who really knows? Not me.  
  
The loft was cold. It happened when it had an always-open window, made of wood, and was mid-fall. Sure, the couch had some warmth, having been sat on for the last two hours, but Clark still shivered a bit. He did it, however, more as a way of telling himself he was normal, that regular people shivered when it was cold. In his mind, though, he knew that the cold didn't bother him any more than various baseball bats and bullets had in the past. Most kids might have thought that was pretty cool. Clark definitely didn't.  
  
"You have no idea how lucky you are" a deep, commanding voice said behind him.  
  
Clark jumped. "What?" he said nervously, without turning around. Was someone reading his thoughts? It wasn't impossible in Smallville.  
  
"Public school homework" the voice said. "Even if it is finals time, its still cant be worse than boarding school."  
  
Clark sighed in relief. He turned around and smiled. "Hey Lex. What brings you here?"  
  
"Well, not the climate, I'll tell you that much. Got some room there, or does Addison Wesley have a reservation?" The bald, older man asked, pointing to the couch.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Just finishing up some math studies." Clark shoved the books aside, namely onto the floor, and scooted over a little to let Lex sit down.  
  
However, the younger Luthor stood for a moment, looking at his friend. "Clark, you know plenty about competition, right?"  
  
Clark nodded. "Sure. Whitney and me over.yeah, I know about it. Why?"  
  
Lex took a seat. "Well," he said, groaning a little as he rested his back. He'd been walking more and more to the Kent farm than driving, publicly because he wanted the exercise, privately because Clark, Lex, and cars, especially expensive ones, were a rather bad mix. "This is a little more large scale than a feud between two guys-"  
  
"-One that you started," Clark pointed out.  
  
"Touché. But yes, this is the same concept."  
  
"Lex, what do you mean?" Clark furrowed his brow.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a company called Jackson-Lake Agriculture?"  
  
"JLA? Yeah, my dad's bought a few fertilizers from them in the past, not much anymore."  
  
"I don't blame him. Jackson-Lake has come under some new management recently. An internal coup d'etat left Arthur Jackson out of the picture a year ago. His colleague, Lucas Lake, has most of the control now."  
  
"Why does this have anything to do with competition?"  
  
Lex smiled that half a second smile that Clark had come to know well. "You're lucky you're able to ask that kind of question. JLA has been putting up a subsidiary company in Smallville, a fertilizer plant, to be exact."  
  
"The same thing that LuthorCorp has here."  
  
"Exactly"  
  
"But JLA is a small company, from what I know it was mostly just a confederation of farms more than a real company. How did they manage to get a subsidiary so fast if they're that small?"  
  
Lex gave a longer smile this time. "Looks like I'm finally rubbing off on you, Clark. You're right, JLA is a small company, and they shouldn't have a sub anywhere in this county, much less Smallville. I'm thinking it's a front more than that."  
  
"Is it actually built? I think if it were my dad would have let my know."  
  
"No. They don't have a zoning permit yet, and there's a good reason for it."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Lex shrugged. "Let me put it this way. You wouldn't want your perfect view of a Midwest sunset blocked by a crap factory, would you?"  
  
Clark's eyebrows went up, up, and almost away. "You mean they want to build it here? On the farm?"  
  
"It's no secret that your father has no love for LuthorCorp. JLA apparently had the idea that they could persuade him to sell part of the land in an attempt to 'bring down the juggernaut'" Lex somehow found that funny, as he laughed. "Amazingly, your dad said no."  
  
"I figured he would. So that's where he was all day."  
  
"You mean he didn't tell you? I thought the Kent's were a pretty close- knit family."  
  
"Yeah me too. I mean, yeah, we are! That's what weirds me out." Clark pursed his lips. "They didn't threaten him about not telling anyone, did they?"  
  
"Trust me, Clark, if they had, I'd have known about it, and JLA would have been sued for every penny they own, not to mention had their Metropolis HQ suddenly full of LuthorCorp moles. I would never let anyone hurt you or your family, Clark."  
  
Clark nodded. It was so strange, how he and Lex lived in completely different worlds, yet were so close. "Then why didn't he say anything?"  
  
"Maybe you should ask him." Lex nodded his head outside, where Jonathan Kent was pulling up in his truck.  
  
Clark nodded, and got up. "Did you say anything to him about it?"  
  
"No. I just learned an hour ago, I came here as soon as I finished up a few things. I was hoping I could catch your dad while he was here."  
  
The two friends walked down the loft stairs, into the hay-strewn floor, where Clark's dad was unloading spare tractor parts. "Hey dad," Clark said, waving."  
  
"Mr. Kent," Lex added, smiling, his hands in his pockets, the most casual gesture anyone ever saw Lex in.  
  
Jonathan looked up, and smiled at his son. "Hey Clark. You hitting those books like you're supposed to?"  
  
"Yeah, but they're hitting back," Clark said, rubbing his temple where a brief headache had started an insurrection earlier.  
  
Jonathan laughed. He dusted his gloves off, and looked at Lex. "Mr. Luthor, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Mr. Kent, please, call me Lex," the bald youth said, in the vain attempt to forge familiarity with the farmer. "Nothing really, but I was hoping I could talk to you about the Jackson-La-"  
  
"I'm not selling out to any company, good history or not," he replied. "I learned a few tricks from fighting your father most of my adult life on how not to compromise."  
  
Lex let a ghost of a smile cross his face. "I know the feeling." Clark was amazed. The two actually hadn't exchanged a single glare tonight.  
  
Martha Kent walked up to the men, and put her arm on Jonathan's shoulder. "Well, how did the talks go?" She asked.  
  
"Wait, mom, you knew about this too?" Clark said, his mouth hanging open a bit.  
  
His mother slowly nodded. "Didn't your father tell you this morning about JLA wanting to buy us?"  
  
"No, Martha, I didn't." Mr. Kent gave his wife and son the look that said 'It's important, and there's a reason, but I can't tell you right now'. At least that's what Clark thought it said. Just because he could see through walls didn't mean he could read people quite perfectly yet.  
  
Martha looked at her husband a moment, then, snapped back to the real world. "Lex, how long were you planning on staying? I think I have some extra beef tips that Clark can afford not to have as an after-school snack."  
  
"I appreciate it, Mrs. Kent, but I'm supposed to meet with some friends for dinner tonight in Metropolis. Save me some though, Ken hasn't been feeling well, and Andy isn't much good for anything but stir fry." Lex added that bit of humor in, but Clark could see the look on his friend's face when he'd mentioned his 'friends'. Clark wished he could help somehow, but like X-ray vision, even his powers couldn't always do much in the way of assistance, even to his friends.  
  
Martha smiled sweetly. "Well, if you can keep the cookie monster here out of it for a full day, I'll even throw in some chicken soup for Ken."  
  
Lex smiled. "I'm not even sure if the resources of LuthorCorp can stop the appetite of a growing boy. I'll see you tomorrow, Clark. Goodbye Mrs. Kent, Mr. Kent." Lex turned around and walked off in the direction of the Luthor Mansion.  
  
Clark waited until he was out of sight, then turned to his father. "Dad, why didn't you tell me about JLA wanting to buy off some of the land?"  
  
Jonathan sighed. "It's complicated, son. Look, your mother probably needs help setting the table. Go on, I need to do some work on the tractor."  
  
Clark walked toward the house, and thought to himself. His dad was being overly mysterious, and Lex had been perfectly open. Usually that was the other way around. And who were these 'friends' that Lex was meeting?  
  
And what exactly did the Pythagorean theorem have to do with the principle of 3D graphs? 


	2. Breathe, Chloe aka Bad Lex! Bad!

Smallville: Power Plays  
  
Shorter, yes, but its almost four in the morning where I am. Must.sleep.man, I need to eat some Kryptonite-laced cheerios that let me stay up all night. 'course, then Clark would have to come and kick my ass.all well.  
  
Again, no ownage of anything except challengers on battle. net. :D  
  
The halls were unusually crowded. Normally Chloe could find some air pocket from which to breathe, but with the students from John County High going to school there until a chem. spill from a LuthorCorp plant could be cleaned up, Chloe was going to have to deal with temporary asphyxiation.  
  
At least, until after school so she could talk to Brad. That boy was all the oxygen she needed.  
  
"Um Chloe?" Clark asked her, snapping that pleasant thought out of existence.  
  
"Yeah, that's me, don't sound so confused."  
  
"Didn't mean to. Hey, have you heard of a company called JLA? Jackson-Lake Agriculture?"  
  
"Yeah, their a little confederation of farmers around Metropolis. You probably know more about them than I do."  
  
"Well, I was hoping I could change that. You up for some after-school research?"  
  
Chloe sighed. "Well, I was kind of hoping I could have the Torch office to myself today. Why?"  
  
Clark cocked his head. "Why'd you want the office alone?"  
  
Chloe was about to answer when the 1-minute warning bell rang. "Tell you what, I'll call you tonight, OK?" And with that she rushed off to Chemistry I to take one of the many finals that were scheduled for her today.  
  
She almost noticed the strange look that Clark gave her. Almost.  
  
Lex Luthor was not having a good day. He doubted any of his friends were either, but at least they didn't have to make life or bankruptcy decisions with their fathers watching over their backs.  
  
At, least not to the best of his knowledge.  
  
To make things worse, Heidi thought he needed aback rub.  
  
"C'mon Lex, you walk back and worth to that barn almost every day, it cant be good for you! Besides, it's the least I can do for last night."  
  
Lex sighed. What had happened last night had been a mistake, a result of too much brandy and too much Heidi. It was a bad enough idea for him to be sleeping with his father's secretary. It didn't help that she thought it had meant something.  
  
"Heidi, you and I both know that what happened shouldn't have."  
  
"Mmm-hm, but it did happen."  
  
Lex sighed and rubbed his eyes. "If my father finds out about that, we would both be in a very bad position to argue our case."  
  
"Oh, you know, I'll bet Lionel expected this to happen, Lex."  
  
Really? Thought Lex. I sure as hell didn't see it coming.  
  
"Heidi, please. No more back rubs, no more sweet talk."  
  
"You know, you're just as bad as your father about this."  
  
Lex' eyes shot open all the way. His father? And Heidi?  
  
"Wait, when did this happen?"  
  
"Not for a year now, Lex. And don't worry, you're better than he was, that's for sure. Look, Maybe I ought to take your advice. I've never seen a small town before, not like this anyway. I'm going to go site seeing. Meet you back here for dinner?"  
  
Lex still didn't respond.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes. Later lexie!" Heidi kissed him on his head, and pranced out the door to do whatever it was Metropolitans did in small towns. No one could have missed the way she swayed her hips in a way that a woman only ten years older would have crumbled vertebrae doing.  
  
Lex was stunned. His father had sex with his secretary.the same secretary Lex had just had sex with.and had taken out to dinner. If Lionel Luthor had indeed seen this coming, his million-dollar tummy was likely rolling with laughter right now.  
  
He pressed the intercom button. "Andy? Bring me a tea, chai, with sugar." Chai tea, sweetened. Oh yes, Lex was freaked out. "Oh man, Clark is going to have kittens over this," he thought, flipping through a personnel file. If he were his father, he'd have likely fired the worker out of sheer frustration. But then he wasn't his father.in fact at the moment, the biggest thing connecting the Luthor men was their weakness for tall blondes. 


	3. groan women: cant live with them

Smallville: Power Plays  
  
Wahoo! Thank god for kryptonite! And thank god for cheerios! And thank god for my clinical insomnia! Thanks for everything big guy.okay, I'm going to shut up now before that gets worse. Here we get a little more info on Chloe's new deal Brad, and Clark and Lex have a discussion that men have poured over for ages: women.  
  
HAHAAH!!! SMALLVILLE IS MINE! I OWN IT ALL! AND I OWN SUPERMAN TOO!!! IN FACT I OWN DC COMICS, WHICH MEANS I ALSO OWN BATMAN, FLASH, GREEN LANTERN, AND THE COMIC WORKS OF NEIL GAIMAN!!! BOW BEFORE ME PUNY MORTALS!! HAHAHAHAAH!!!!!  
  
Okay, enough of that.remember kids; when it comes to kryptonite, just say no  
  
Chloe plopped herself down in the small but cushy purple chair she had looted from a teacher's desk earlier that week. Fortunately, finals week was as hectic for teachers as for students, so Ms. Griswold likely didn't even notice she now sat in a small gray armchair with holes in it.  
  
Normally, she would be getting onto the torch database and writing up her scathing column, grinning madly at the mere thought of the hate mail she would receive the following morning, half from teachers, just less than half from students, and of course, there were always the parents to deal with. Those were the most fun to read, Chloe thought.  
  
But today (tonight in about an hour) she was logged onto the internet, her AIM service specifically. She was looking for one person specifically. She had her buddy list, of course, but it was mostly family and old Metropolis friends that seemed more distant every day. Clark didn't have a computer with internet, but Pete was on the list. But none of these people where who she was looking for.  
  
Of course, that one person was not on. "C'mon Brad. You said you'd be on right now."  
  
"And you said you would call me about now." Clark Kent said, leaning in the doorway to the Torch office.  
  
"Clark! What time is.oh."  
  
"Yeah. That time."  
  
"Clark, I'm sorry, I thought I'd be done with the article by now."  
  
"Chloe, we both know you weren't working on the Torch." Clark walked in and sat down on a table.  
  
Chloe pushed the chair backwards, and pursed her lips. "Forgive me?"  
  
"On one condition: Tell me what's going on."  
  
Chloe sighed. "Its kind of personal, Clark. It's a me-and-a-guy thing.and no offense, but every time you get involved with that it gets messed up."  
  
"No, whenever I get involved, the guy turns out to be a very-bad-thing." Clark stopped himself, a little late as the words were already out. "Look, Chloe, I just want to know what's going on. Is this guy on the internet?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yeah. I probably sound like an uber-nerd now, don't I? Having an internet boyfriend, putting off friends and work to talk to him."  
  
Clark shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think you sound nerdy.I just don't think that internet relationships have much of a chance. I don't want to see you hurt."  
  
Oh, really? She thought. Wait.now that wasn't entirely fair. Clark really did want to protect her.it's just that he wanted to protect everyone else too. Sometimes he did one better than the other. "Brad's just.he's really nice. He always listens, he's into journalism too, and he.said he liked me." Chloe let a rare warm smile melt across her face.  
  
"Where does he live?"  
  
Still smiling, Chloe replied "Gotham City"  
  
Clark blinked. "You do know that's on the Eastern Seaboard, right?"  
  
Chloe's smile froze like Crater like in January. "Maryland isn't too far away."  
  
Clark let out a slightly amused sigh. "Look, Chloe, I'm just concerned is all. Like I said, I don't want anything bad to happen."  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I know. I just wish you hadn't rained on the parade."  
  
"He's from Gotham, right? He should be used to rain by know."  
  
Chloe laughed at that. "Okay, dad, I promise to be careful around the Internet guy."  
  
"And don't forget to give me a call later. I'm heading over to Lex's Mansion to talk about some things."  
  
"Is this about the JLA Company?"  
  
"Yeah. Have you heard?"  
  
"That they tried to buy your farm and that your dad gave them a very rude decline? Yeah. You'd be amazed what you could find in the Ledger if you look hard enough."  
  
Clark nodded, but felt kind of inferior. He hadn't heard anything about it, and he was the one with X-ray vision. "Yeah. If you find anything else about it, let me know, okay?"  
  
"Alright. Hey, Clark?"  
  
He stopped halfway out the door. "Yeah Chloe?"  
  
"Do you really think this Internet thing won't work out?"  
  
Clark held up his hands in surrender. "No comment, ms. Sullivan. Hey, I gotta fly. Later."  
  
"Yeah, later!" Chloe watched him go, and sighed. Of all the things Clark was a pessimist about. Why did it have to be relationships? Kind of makes sense, though. She told herself. His rarely turn out well.  
  
She sighed, and turned back to the computer. To her surprise, and delight, the boy from Gotham had just signed on, and was apologizing for being late.  
  
Lex sat in one of his many comfortable chairs, holding one of his many weapons from the trophy room in his hands. It was an English-made rapier, the blade long and smooth, with a tip that would make any swordsman grin in approval. It was polished every day, usually by his butler, but today Lex had insisted in cleaning the swords. It took longer than he thought it would. It had taken him four hours just to get through the oriental collection.  
  
"I hope you're not planning on using that any time soon," Clark said as he walked into the office.  
  
Lex grinned. "Never let your weapons dull or rust. Every one of them is useful."  
  
"Yeah, but a blade too often used can become dull as well," Clark replied.  
  
"I see you actually did read that copy of Art of War I leant you. What brought that about?"  
  
"History Class. Fifth period."  
  
Lex frowned. "You should read more stuff like it. It's pretty useful for everyday life. Even the most peaceful person has to fight some kind of battle for truth and justice at some time."  
  
Clark shrugged. "Well, if it ever comes up, I'll take you up on that."  
  
The bald man put the rapier aside. For the most part, it was done. "How are you and your family doing after last night?"  
  
"Confused. At least I am. My dad didn't really talk about the JLA thing at dinner.actually; he didn't talk much at all. I asked mom about it, and she said he'd tell us what was going on when he thought it was time."  
  
Lex got a nervous look on his face.  
  
"Lex? What is it?"  
  
"That sounds suspiciously like what my father would say."  
  
Clark laughed and shook his head. "We both know that our fathers are two completely different men, Lex. Whatever my dad's reasons, I'm sure they're good ones."  
  
"And I agree with you completely. But I think we'll both feel better when we find out what those reasons are."  
  
Clark nodded. "Lex, how do you deal with family keeping secrets from you?"  
  
"I don't. It's just a part of my life, my world. I don't have to deal with it any more than you have to deal with homework and chores."  
  
The two were interrupted by an attractive, if somewhat showy, blonde walking into the room, and taking a seat on Lex's chair's arm. "Hello, mister Luthor. Finished polishing your sword" She smiled mischievously, and leaned in closer. "Going to use it any time soon?"  
  
Lex smiled good naturedly, but Clark could tell it was a fake. "My good friend Clark here just told me a good piece of wisdom. A sword used too much becomes dull. Heidi, if you don't mind, I have some things I still need to talk with Clark about."  
  
"Oh, fine then. Just come see me when you're done, okay?" Heidi kissed Lex in the nose, surprising the young Luthor, and swayed her hips out of the room, taking more than three looks at Clark as she went by.  
  
Clark took a little while to work that all out in his mind. "Did I just detect about three sexual innuendos just now?"  
  
Lex shook his head to clear his mind. "Actually, there were about five, but you have to have a sharp ear for them."  
  
Clark narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Okay Lex. What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing your virgin ears need to hear. Suffice to say that there is a very strange triangle forming in Smallville, and I don't mean you, Lana, and the Quarterback."  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow. He was now thoroughly confused-not an uncommon occurrence when dealing with Lex Luthor. "Is this one of those times that I should put my hands up and back out? Because I already did that once today."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Clark groaned, and told Lex the story about Brad and Chloe.  
  
Lex sighed. "So that's why she wasn't answering earlier."  
  
"You called her?"  
  
"Yes. Actually, to ask her if she was able to go see a movie this Saturday with me and.a friend."  
  
"You mean Heidi? Why are you taking them both?"  
  
"So that I have an excuse not to leave early with Heidi." Lex smiled. "And besides, Chloe is kind of fun to be around. When she's not ranting about conspiracies and mutations from the meteor rocks."  
  
Clark laughed. "How will Chloe feel if Heidi makes a move?"  
  
Lex's face suddenly became stony. "She won't."  
  
Clark was a little concerned by that, but he knew his friend wouldn't do anything too dastardly. He was, after all Lex Luthor. A good guy. 


	4. Guy Talk aka Lana's lecture

Smallville: Power Plays  
  
Regarding last chapter: C'mon, you know you wanted it!! This is not going to turn out to be a Chlex story (at least I don't think it will, I honestly don't know. Stories are weird like that, as I'm sure you all know) but I knew that people here love to see Chloe and Lex together in some way. And I sure as hell wasn't going to write a Lex/Clark slash.those things confuse me to no end, considering how we all know things are going to turn out in the comics. No, I'm not a homophobe.I'm just weirded out by the thought of Clark and Lex together. So, oh yeah, on with the story! I want to finish this part, and then go waste six more precious hours of life on season 1 of Smallville and Babylon 5. Cheers!  
  
PS, any Johnny Cash fans here? Expect a song from the Man Comes Around soon.can't tell you which one though! That would give it away. That and two other songs that I think will fit easily enough into the story, because it wouldn't be Smallville without a few songs of varying genres. Heh, anybody remember the third season premiere, Metallica playing while Clark went Matrix on the robbers? One of TV's greatest moments, in my humble opinion.  
  
Pete was, as usual, winning.  
  
"You know, for being an all-American farm boy with the uncanny ability to miss the bus every day and still get to school on time, you can't jump Clark."  
  
The taller boy shook his head. "Just a little distracted, Pete. You know I'd be putting up more of a fight than this if I wasn't."  
  
Pete smirked. "I don't usually notice a difference."  
  
"Gee thanks."  
  
"No, I think I know what you mean, though." Pete rolled the basketball into the barn, and started up the stairs to the loft. Clark followed him. "Finals kicking your butt, too?"  
  
"Yeah, one of the few things you and the school system have in common." Clark fell back onto the couch. That had been harder than it looked. Losing, that was. "That's not all, though."  
  
Pete leaned against on of the wood pylons that went up to the top of the barn. "I hear you. Chloe's new flame, right?"  
  
Clark winced. "Don't call him that. You and I both know that isn't going to end well."  
  
"You talked to Chloe about it?"  
  
"Yeah. For all the good it did me."  
  
"Hey Clark, man. If you haven't learned this by now, I'm gonna tell you. Chloe Sullivan is the most stubborn person we know, and it doesn't help at all that she's got a uterus. We know how those can complicate things."  
  
Clark nodded, a little smile playing on his lips.  
  
"Yes, they're just such pests, aren't they?" A female voice said, the beautiful Asian owner of which was coming up the stairs.  
  
Pete immediately began to fumble words in a way he never did with a sports ball. "Oh, Lana, um, I was just, I didn't mean-"  
  
"Its ok Pete, trust me, girls have a similar saying about guys." Lana Lang took a seat next to Clark, giving him that nervous/uncomfortable/tingly feeling he always got whenever she did that. "So what's up?"  
  
"Not much. Guy talk."  
  
Pete chuckled, and gave his best impersonation of Pastor Phillip. "Let us, brothers and sisters, proclaim the mystery of.woman."  
  
They all got a laugh out of that, the guys because it was a sad truth, Lana because she found it funny that guys thought girls were so confusing. "We're not so bad once you get to know us, Pete."  
  
The short kid grinned. "Trust me, I know."  
  
They got another round out of that. Lana spoke up. "So, what's the deal with Chloe? She spent the whole day chipper and happy, and there's no trace of a conspiracy afoot."  
  
"Chloe's just got a new. friend, is all. Long distance."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Gotham City."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Clark nodded. "Just what I thought."  
  
Lana shrugged. "C'mon, guys, it can't be that bad. You act like she has a crush on a politician."  
  
"We don't know she hasn't, that's the thing Lana." Clark rubbed his neck. "There have been so many reports of people meeting online, and.well, bad things happening to one of them. Porn, Murder, Robbery, its all more common than you'd think."  
  
"I didn't think you were a technophobe, Clark."  
  
"I'm not scared of technology, Lana. I'm scared of what people will do with it."  
  
Pete suddenly started. "Oh, hey guys, I gotta get going here. I told Chloe I'd help her with some research into these JLA guys."  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow. "That the only reason you're going?"  
  
Pete sighed. "Ok, fine, I admit it. I'm going to see what this Brad guy is like, get a bearing on him, you know?"  
  
Clark nodded very precisely. "Very well, Pathfinder, report back when recon is complete!"  
  
Pete shook his head. "You've been playing too much Generals, man. Besides, I don't exactly have a sniper rifle or net camo."  
  
Clark laughed, and gave Pete a punch on the shoulder as he went by. "Ok, well good luck."  
  
"Let's hope. Later Lana!"  
  
"Bye Pete."  
  
When he was gone, Clark turned back to Lana. "Not that I don't enjoy the company, but what did you come here to talk about?"  
  
Lana sighed. "Actually, I came to ask how you were doing, with these people wanting to buy the farm."  
  
"We're doing ok. Somehow I doubt that JLA has enough money to buy this place from my dad. They'd have to give him Lionel Luther in a butler suit to get him to consider it.  
  
Lana laughed, in that way her entire face lit up and showed all the tiny dimples that Clark had noticed the whole time he'd known her. "Now THAT is an image I want framed and put up on the Talon's wall."  
  
Clark smiled and shrugged. "Who knows, he might just do it. 'LuthorCorp: we're at your service.'"  
  
Lana laughed again, and Clark desperately searched his mind for something else to keep her smiling and happy. "You know, if all else fails, Clark, you could go into advertising."  
  
That got Clark an eyebrow raise. "I don't know Lana, I think Chloe would disown me if I did."  
  
Lana put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey. You sure you're all right? I mean, stress is going to be pretty common these next few hours, especially in your case."  
  
Clark was actually not that stressed at all. Finally, he'd run into a crisis that really didn't require the use of his abilities. "No, Lana, I'm sure I'm fine. I've had worse."  
  
"I know you have, Clark. But aren't you scared that it will all start chipping away at you? You're a martyr, Clark, and it's not a good thing."  
  
Clark shook his head slowly. "Lana, people have been saved because I'm, as you put it, a martyr. It's who I am."  
  
"I'm just scared, Clark. You act like the-"  
  
"-Weight of the world is on my shoulders." It wasn't the first time Lana had said that about him.  
  
"Exactly. I know that if I had that to bear.I don't know if I could. I'd break down. That's why I'm worried about you." Lana looked at him in her severely cute way, looking up at him, her eyes glistening and her mouth slightly open. Every time she did that, Clark wanted to reach out and kiss her eyes shut.  
  
She beat him to it. Lana leaned forward and laid a peck on Clark's cheek. "You want to be a hero so bad Clark, that sometimes you don't know that you are one already." She stood up, and pulled her jacket a little tighter around herself. "I should probably be getting home. I've got the Earth-Phys test tomorrow, and I still can't remember what the difference between a cumulous and cirrus cloud is. I'll see you tomorrow." She walked down the stairs, and Clark reached up and touched the lip-gloss mark where Lana had kissed him.  
  
Finals week wasn't so bad, once you got used to it. 


	5. FatherSon talks aka the sweet corn blues

Smallville: Power Plays  
  
As always, the Authors Note: Yikes. Friend Issues, constant packing and leaving for home again. It's hard enough as it is to keep writing endlessly this story that I have to get out of my head before it bulges and kills me (ark!).  
  
First off, I have a thank you: Veneficium-Femella (I think I spelled that right), thank you so much for reviewing this thing. I'd still write it, even if people didn't know it existed, simply because I have to write it, but your two reviews made it even more worth it. I'd hug you, but my arms won't reach through the modems. In turn, however, I promise to visit all your stories and RR them. Thanks!!  
  
Second: You all know how I've been pouring over having just gotten season 1. I just finished it. I only have one thing to say: YOU CRUEL BASTARDS!!!! ALFRED GOUGH AND MILES MILLER, DAMN YOUR EYES, FOR THERE IS A SPECIAL CIRCLE OF HELL WAITING JUST FOR TV-WRITERS WHO LEAVE SEASON FINALES AS CLIFFHANGERS!!!!! Phew. That felt kind of good, actually. Sorry AG&MM, but I had to get that out of my system. Heh, does anybody know when Season 2 comes out?  
  
Third: Well, to close I just want to say....umm...I just want to say...Dammit. I can't think of a number three. I can't end the author's note without a number 3...Aha! I got it! Ahem.HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!! DON'T GET DRUNK, ALCOHOL IS BAAAAAD FOR YOU!!! KISS SOMEONE YOU LOVE TONIGHT, CUZ ITS 2004 BABY!!!! WHOO!!  
  
Right. Now that my love of the number 3 is sated, you can see what you actually came here to see. Chapter 5 of Smallville: Power Plays  
  
The Kent family was sitting down at the dinner table. Martha was fussing over Clark's hair; Clark was assuring her that his hair looked good messy, Chloe even said so. And Jonathan was pouring over the papers that he had gotten from Smallville Saving's and Loans earlier that day. Altogether, it seemed like a normal dinner on any other night.  
  
"So, how are the finals tests doing Clark?" his mother asked him.  
  
"Not too bad. Geometry never was my strong suit, but I'm getting better at it."  
  
"As long as there aren't little doodles of people flying on them, I think I'll be satisfied."  
  
"No, cool S-shaped designs are pretty common on the English test though."  
  
Martha groaned. "Eat your dinner, smart aleck."  
  
Throughout the entire evening, Mr. Kent hadn't said anything.  
  
Later that night Clark went into his dad's office to look for a pencil. It was the usual Kent organizational method: if it's balanced evenly on top of the other thing, let it be. Fortunately, being able to see through solid objects made the search a little easier.  
  
Just as he was leaving, Clark noticed a document on the desk that looked like nothing he'd seen before. It had a seal at the top that said Cornfield Alliance, with the picture of a corn-stalk and two hands shaking.  
  
At the bottom were signed two signatures. One was the name Lucas Lake. The other one...  
  
"Clark?" Jonathan Kent stood in the doorway, looking at his son. He looked at the paper and sighed. "Son, can I talk to you about something?"  
  
Hopelessly a man starts to feed your day  
  
once he was there you never looked back  
  
how did you think that his words might just fade away  
  
he seemed harmless enough so you let him in and now you'll pay  
  
Chloe glanced at the clock for about the twelfth time that night. It was, in fact, 1:30, usually when Chloe would be finishing up her Torch work and changing into pajamas, but this night was special.  
  
Brad was on late, for some reason, and he was talking to her. Only her, judging by the speed of his replies.  
  
I can't see him but he's stalking my thoughts  
  
how does it feel when you can't concentrate?  
  
I just stare  
  
all of your daydreams are a seesaw for him to play on  
  
how does it feel when he calls your name  
  
you can plug your ears but it's not the same  
  
how does it feel when he pulls you back  
  
She was really tired.but she wanted to talk. To let all this stuff about Clark, Lana, the finals, the Torch, everything, to just let it all out. It wouldn't hurt to talk just a little longer...would it?  
  
nobody's wrong nobody's right the birdman wouldn't lie  
  
nobody's wrong nobody's right but I just can't trust him tonight  
  
how do you forget a stranger that plagues your days  
  
we arm ourselves when there's nothing to fear right?  
  
Wrong  
  
(Those lyrics are from Birdman, by Our Lady Peace, a cool song and a cool band. Check them out if you haven't)  
  
"Mrs. Sullivan?"  
  
Chloe jumped up, her half-nap broken by the question. Her half-finished test lay in front of her. "I'm sorry Mr. Condon, it's just-"  
  
"Chloe? Just get back to work," the wide-middle teacher said. He went back to shuffling his papers.  
  
Chloe shook her head to wake up, and stared with blurry vision at the test before her. She was just tired because she'd staid up all night studying, so it was ok to dose off a little, right?  
  
Ok, she thought to herself. The formula for the volume of a sphere is...Pi times something. Never mind, I'll come back to it later.  
  
Clark never thought he'd see the day that he'd be glad to see the school cafeteria, especially on Thursday. The food that day was bad enough to warrant a mock health-issues story in the Torch. The late principal Kwan had had it taken out, but bootleg copies had spread, and now a lot of kids wore home-made necklaces with the bio-hazard symbol on them on Thursdays.  
  
Fortunately, there were certain advantages to living on a farm.  
  
"Hey Clark? Can I bum a corn cob off of you?" Pete said, his eyes pleading like a child who hadn't eaten in days, which was absurd. If Pete went an hour without a snack, his stomach registered on the Richter scale.  
  
Clark rolled his eyes and passed him one of his mom's sweet corns sprinkled with a little sugar and honey.  
  
Pete sighed with happiness, and took a man-sized mouthful. "You know, if you sold these every Thursday, you could probably buy the cafeteria."  
  
"Yeah, but my mom wouldn't come to work here, so what would be the point? I'd be going back on a campaign promise."  
  
Pete shook his head. "That sounded a little too business-like for comfort."  
  
Clark groaned, even as he savored the sweet taste of real corn that had never seen a processing plant. "It's this JLA thing. My dad's asked me to stay out of it, but I was looking at some papers yesterday that he left out on his desk."  
  
Pete nodded. "What was on them?"  
  
Clark shook his head, trying to figure it all out. "They basically gave a history of the farm since 1962. Apparently, my grandfather owned a part of JLA, only back then it was called the Cornfield Alliance."  
  
"Sounds like a cheesy comic-book group. JLA sounds a lot more realistic."  
  
Clark went on. He told Pete about the debt, and the clause in one of the documents that the late Mr. Kent had agreed to-even written. The one that said, in the most dire of circumstances, members could be requested to give up their land to the Alliance so that the whole of the organization could prosper. In this case-  
  
"-in this case, the permission to build a crap-factory on it." Pete nodded, a look of anger on his usually cheerful face. "Man, I thought only the Luthors could twist stuff around like that."  
  
"Speaking of the Luthors, I need to go see Lex later. I need to tell him that Chloe isn't going to be available this Saturday."  
  
Pete's eyes pulled a Bugs Bunny. "Chloe? Lex? Saturday?"  
  
"Chloe, Lex, and a friend."  
  
"What friend?" Pete got a very suspicious look in his eyes.  
  
"I don't know, honestly."  
  
"Clark do I even get the opportunity to mention how dumb you are sounding?"  
  
Clark gritted his teeth. Now that he thought about it, it did sound kind of...wrong. "If Lex wants to ask her out on a date, it's not my place to stop him. Besides, that's not even what it is. I think he just wants to get to know my friends better, you know?"  
  
"He never asked me."  
  
"What would you have said if Lex Luthor had asked you to go to a Saturday matinee movie with him?"  
  
Pete shrugged. "Alright, you got me there. I just don't like this sudden interest all the guys are taking in Chloe."  
  
"Just don't join them, I'll share your worries."  
  
Lex was disappointed. The day had started out well. He had woken up without a headache, his favorite red shirt was waiting for him, warm, right out of the drier, he had stopped by the Talon for breakfast and had a good muffin and a conversation with Lana, which for once didn't involve management issues at all. Then it had all gone to hell with a single phone call.  
  
"I know dad. Look, I'm doing everything I can to keep that factory out of Smallville. Their lawyers found a loophole in a contract Mr. Kent's father signed. Yes, I check it every morning, I know LuthorCorp stock is down. Dad, please spare me the Machiavelli-isms. Alright. Let me handle this. No, I'm not going to need any more lawyers-no, dad, you don't have to come down to supervise it. Look, I need to go. I'll talk to you later."  
  
Heidi frowned. "That didn't sound good."  
  
"That was actually one of our more mellow conversations. You never heard him talk to me on the phone apparently."  
  
"I did, but he always made it sound so nice, like you two were getting along just fine."  
  
Lex smiled. "My father is a master at making something look like anything. Family, for instance."  
  
(note: hey look, guys, I'm sorry to cut it short here, but I need to get this sent off before we leave tomorrow, and I can NOT write anymore. I promise I'll pick up right were I left off. I'll even skip the annoying author's note. Ok, now arty8 needs some sleep. Hope you've enjoyed it so far! Tell all your friends! And your enemies too, if they like Smallville! Caio!) 


End file.
